One relatively-common cause of severe, chronic fatigue is myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). In ME/CFS, fatigue is:

• Overwhelming: leading to various degrees of disability
• Post-exertional: worsened after any activity. Whether physical or mental
• Non-refreshed: not improved by rest/sleep
• Loss of concentration, poor memory, and/or difficulty in thinking, and is often referred to as “brain fog”
• Pain (especially in the muscles and joints), dizziness (especially on standing), and troubled sleep.

The short answer is that the cause is unknown. However, substantial evidence suggests that the following concepts are involved in ME/CFS:

• Energy metabolism: Including mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired ability to generate ATP, redox imbalance, and a general hypometabolic state.
• Immune system: Including systemic inflammation, neuroinflammation, reduced natural killer (NK) cell function, and aberrant response to viral/bacterial infections.

Dr. Richard G. Boles is a geneticist who has been treating ME/CFS for over 25 years. He recently sequenced all of the DNA (whole genome sequencing WGS) in 18 of his patients with ME/CFS, revealing ion channels and energy metabolism as an important cause in most. This has direct ramifications in treatment. Click here to see a summary. Dr. Boles is the Medical & Scientific Director and a founder of NeuroNeeds®.

Spectrum Needs® (powder) and EnergyNeeds® (capsules) are high-powered mitochondrial supplements designed by a collaborative of prominent physicians and scientists. They are often used to optimize nutrition for a wide range of disorders associated with mitochondrial ion channel dysfunction, and inflammation.